Ranger Faith
by Frost3332
Summary: When a ranger suddenly turns against a pokemon the reputation of rangers is badly shaken and the relationship between Rangers and Pokemon crumbles. Can a group of determined rangers restore the reputation and win the trust of pokemon all over the world?
1. Prolouge

"I say we track down the chosen one and help him or her in whatever way possible."

"I'm afraid that's just not possible, we have no idea where to start looking."

"There was nothing else besides the prophecy?"

"No, this is our only clue. This riddle is the only thing we can go by."

"I see, well then, I suppose we shall examine it again."

The room grew silent as the two professors re-read a script of paper. The words on it had been copied down from a stone tablet that mysteriously appeared outside their lab one day. No one knows how it got there, or if its words are true, but at the moment, it is the only lead they have.

For weeks, it seems as if the world has been in a standstill. Three weeks ago tomorrow was when it all began. Three weeks from tomorrow. That was the day when a top class ranger ran into a legendary that was controlled by the evil forces. That was the day the three finest rangers failed to complete a simple mission; the day not a single Pokémon was captured and calmed down by a ranger; the day when even the friend Pokémon turned away; the day that the ranger school caught on fire. Of course, that was also the day when a report was made about a Pokémon ranger abusing a Pokémon.

Since that day, nothing has been the same; everyone has been distant, lost in thought. Torn to shreds from the inside by realization that even the good guys could go bad. That is why the professors sat in the dark room for hours, reviewing the writing that was on the stone tablet. Finally, one of them stood. He was a young man with glasses, a dress shirt, and jeans. He turned to his friend, his mentor. "We won't learn much more by reading it, we have gotten all we can out of words old professor. Now we must use actions. I will scan the regions and find the One. I shall ask my brother and my sister to help as well. My sister's husband works at a ranger school in Almina, and my brother is a ranger in Fiore. One of them should be able to help me find this extraordinary ranger that will fix this mess."

The old professor just nodded and continued to stare at the philosophical poem before him. He was deep in thought. The one? The first? The friends? There were so many key components of the short prophecy. His old, wise eyes, kept slicking back to one particular word. Death. Talk of death was not a light topic, and since the prophecy contained this single word, it should by no means be taken lightly. With a final word of farewell, the younger professor left, leaving the old man alone with his thoughts.

1


	2. Chapter 1: A new path

Kendo started following the two other ten year olds to the laboratory, but witch each step, she grew slower and slower. Ten was a magic age. It was how old you had to be to obtain your first Pokémon and set out on a journey as a trainer. Kendo, along with the two other kids she was following, had just turned ten. The other two raced to the lab with eagerness and anticipation, but Kendo was practically dragging her feet. What Pokémon would she get? What would it be like to become a trainer? How could she choose a Pokémon after seeing them for only a moment? Unlike the other two, Kendo didn't want to pick a Pokémon from the lab. To her, obtaining a Pokémon was earning a new friend. You don't just walk up to a lab and pick who you want to be your friend.

When Kendo fell so far behind the others that they were almost out of sight, she knew she wasn't going to pick out a Pokémon at the lab. 'It isn't right, to choose a friend like that' she thought to herself as she turned and started walking in the other direction. She needed some time to think. Everyone expected her to be a trainer, what would her parents say when she came home with no new Pokémon? It would defiantly be an awkward moment.

Kendo checked to make sure no one was watching, then she turned and dashed out of the town. She was on her way to her favorite place; a peaceful, secluded area by a lake. That place was always teeming with various Pokémon, and never had any other people. It was her secret spot. Kendo weaved her away around tall oak trees until she came to a thick area of bramble at the base of a tall hill. After glancing around once more to make sure no one saw, she dropped to her stomach and lied down on the dirt. Tucking her arms to her side, Kendo wiggled like a seviper and plowed her way through the thorns.

The young girl had discovered this secret place about a year ago when she was playing a game she made up called Pokémon protector and running around pretending like every Pokémon was hurt or in danger and she alone could save them. Her imaginary game got so elaborate that. At one point, she decided there was a Pokémon tangled in the thorns and she climbed into the thorn bush to rest the make-believe Pokémon in danger. Her mother wasn't at all pleased with the cuts all over Kendo's arms, but the secret sanctuary Kendo discovered was defiantly worth a few cuts.

The lake was actually located inside the hill! It was lush and teeming with life. Kendo beamed as she saw all the animals already here. The animals turned, some of them where a bit startled, but most of them knew the little girl would bring no harm. There were light brown weasel Pokémon called furrets, bright blue round Pokémon with a zig-zag tail topped with a blue ball. They were marils. There was also psyducks, holding their aching heads, zigzagoons darting left and right, pigeys pecking at the ground with their beaks, munchlax eating all of the berries of the bushes, and pichu darting around playing electric tag.

The lake water was crystal clear, untouched by the disgusting grip of pollution. Everything about the place was pure, and Kendo's whole soul lifted up every time she entered. "Hello!" She called cheerily as she slowly made her way over to the water, careful not to disturb any of the Pokémon. This peaceful lake was an ideal place to raise young Pokémon. Thus, every step had to be made with care so no little creatures would find themselves under a shoe.

Kendo sat at the bank of the water and dug her fingers into the grass. The water kissed the shore as Pokémon splashed and played, sending waves of all sorts against the banks. Happy squeals of little Pokémon filled the air, and kendo leaned back, lying on the sweet soft grass in her favorite place. There was only one thing that could make this secret better, and that was someone to share it with. Kendo thought again about her partner Pokémon, but the thoughts of battle were drowned out by more playful squeals and in no time, Kendo found herself asleep in the soft green grass by the hidden lake.

When she awoke, the sun was higher in the sky and Kendo blinked her eyes open, realizing it was almost lunchtime. She splashed her face with the cool blue water then rose to her feet and headed over to the hole in the side of the mountain that lead back out to the open through the brambles. Kendo pressed her stomach to the floor again, then wiggled her way through, just barely fitting. The thorns tugged at her clothes and tore through them and her skin, but she ignored it and kept going. Finally she was out and heading home, not even bothering to wipe the dirt of her clothes.

'I'll tell my mother that I don't want to train Pokémon!" she decided. There was a bounce in her step as she evaluated other possibilities "I could be a nurse and help heal Pokémon" she thought aloud. "I could be a researcher and spend all day observing them in their habitat!" Her eyes lit up as she continued to walk. The day was getting hotter. It was nearly noon now, and Kendo was almost home. She could see her house through the trees, in a moment she would be- TATTTAAA!

A pained, agonized yowl echoed through the trees and made Kendo freeze in her place. There was silence for a while, then Kendo's ears could just barely make out a high pitched whimper. Like a wild wind released from a bag, Kendo whirled towards the sound. Her heart pounded, drums beat in her ears. She knew it was a Pokémon in trouble, and she wanted to help! No more games, it was real this time!

Faster then ever before, Kendo ran. Her little shoes flew off, but she preferred being barefoot anyways. Her pitch black hair flowed like a river behind her and her eyes were filled with pure determination. She leapt over logs and ducked under branches out of simple reflex. Her only focus was on finding the source of the whimper. The rest of the world blurred by, as if it was nothing but a streak of color painted across a canvas in a single, quick stroke.

Curious Pokémon peered out of bushes and trees as they watched the wild ten-year-old dash through faster then a dodu with roller blades. The girl was on a mission, and as long as the health and well being of a Pokémon was concerned, nothing would stop her. A river drew nearer and Kendo only screamed out, "Quagsire!" A blue pokmon popped out of the water, as Kendo had known he would. She had visited the stream often enough to know that the water Pokémon would surface if she called his name, and she also knew he had a hard head and could easily hold her weight.

'Thank you Quagsire!" She cheered as she ran right over him. The Pokémon's strong, sturdy head had proved to be a perfect stepping-stone for crossing the river. "Sire Sire!" came a rather confused reply as the laid back Pokémon watched his young human friend rush through the tress as if a swarm of angry combees were after her. What strange creatures, humans were. They always seemed to be in a hurry for reasons beyond the level of Quigsire's understanding. The water type gave a shrug, then shrank back under the surface of the soothing stream.

"RATTAAA!" The squeal sounded again, louder this time: closer. Kendo's feet danced around more trees. She knew where she was going now, the clearing. Still, what harm could come to a Pokémon in the peaceful clearing? Typically, everything about this entire forest possessed a certain tranquil atmosphere. The torturous yowl spoke otherwise, however.

"Rattatata! What happened? What's this?" Kendo reached the pained Pokémon, and immediately found the problem. Around the furry little neck of the small rat-like Pokémon, was a snare; a trap used for hunting. What was it doing here? Was it possible that people were trying to capture Pokémon using this inhumane method? To Kendo, even a pokeball was pushing the limits of Pokémon justice. A cruel trap such as this was far beyond unacceptable.

"Hang in there little fellow, I'll get you out." The girl promised. She gently fingered the wire, trying to loosen it. The small movement made only made it worse, and the sharp wire cut deeper into the Pokémon's neck. "Tattaaa!" In a flash of fangs, the wounded, frightened Pokémon chomped down on the closest thing, Kendo's finger. The little girl jumped back and cradled her hand, but she didn't shed a tear. Her eyes were filled with fear, but it wasn't for herself. The fear she felt was on the behalf of the wounded Pokémon who had just taken out a good chunk of her finger. He must be in a lot of pain!

Kendo quickly stuck her finger in her mouth, then spit out the blood. She examined the wound for a half a second as more scarlet liquid oozed out. Then she whipped the blood on her shirt and continued working the wire with her other hand. She would wait until the blood stopped to use both hands so that she wouldn't get her blood all over the ratatata's fur.

The small Pokémon was letting out a sound in between a whimper and a growl. Kendo wished she could calm it down, but nothing would help ratata more then removing the snare, and in order to do that she would have to move it off him, which might cause a big of discomfort. "Hang in there, it will be all better soon" Kendo reassured the little Pokémon and started working the wire with both hands again. "Almost done."

A small rustling noise from the trees made Kendo freeze. "Who's there?" she called as she spun around and scanned the woods with her bright, alert eyes. "If you're the one who did this, I'd like a word with you!" Kendo's tone was grave, and carried a threatening feel that was unusual for a child of her age. A few breaths passed by with no other noises, so Kendo turned back to her patient and wiggled the wire again.

The rough wire snagged on ratata's fur again and the Pokémon lunged, but this time, Kendo was ready and reacted just fast enough to save herself from another nip. "Hey now, I'm going to help you." Kendo crouched down and stared the Pokémon right in the eyes. There seemed to be a connection between the two of them, and, as if by some miracle, the ratatata relaxed completely.

Once the Pokémon relaxed, it was extremely easy to remove the wire, which had been extremely tight when ratata was tense. "Tada!" Kendo cheered as she slipped the loop off the wild Pokémon's neck. "Your free!" Ratata looked at her for a moment with sparkling, trusting eyes. It seemed as if he wanted to say thanks. "Your welcome!" Kendo called, and gave him a warm smile. With that, rattata turned and fled through the grass.

After whipping her hands against her pants and tucking strands of her silky black hair behind her ear, Kendo turned and began her journey home. She had a bounce in her step, and a smile on her face. The pain of her finger, and the crusted blood that clothed it were far from her mind. All she could think about was ratata being free, and the relief on his face when he gained that freedom.

"Excuse me, but I saw what you did back there and I'd like to ask you a few questions." Kendo whirled around to face a man she had never seen before. He was a young man, probably in his early twenties. His hair was beach blonde and spiked out to one side. His outfit was the most noteworthy trait about him. It seemed like a uniform, but not any one Kendo was familiar with. There was a certain air about him that seemed to show off his importance. "Names Jackie" he said as he thrust his hand towards her. Kendo just blinked. Kids are always warned about strangers, but something told her that this man was alright. She offered up her hand and her whole arm shook as the man gave her a strong handshake. "Kendo" she replied slowly, wondering what kind of questions he had in mind. His first question came as a complete shock.

"How's your finger?" Her finger? Kendo glanced down at her hands, wondering what on earth would make the strange man ask about her fingers. The dried blood provided the explanation. "Fine.." she said as she tried to scrape some of the crusted scarlet off her hands. "That was a pretty brave thing you did" the man continued, Kendo looked up at him in confusion. What was so brave about freeing the ratata? Anyone would have done the same thing. Wouldn't they? Her mind began to drift off.

"Wild Pokémon are unpredictable, most people wouldn't have tried to free them like that. Especially not ratatatas, lots of people consider them to weak for the effort." Kendo looked up at him with wide eyes. "To weak?" she chocked out the words, startled beyond belief. If Pokémon trainers were the type of people to consider any Pokémon to weak, then she defiantly did not want to be one!

"Have you ever heard about Pokémon Rangers?" Jackie asked, his eyes shown bright with pride. "The heroes that strive to protect Pokémon as well as humanity? The brave individuals who overcome all challenges and manage to calm down even the most wild of all Pokémon?" He then leapt on top of a rock and stuck a mighty pose. "Pokémon Rangers are the greatest people around! Surly you've heard of them!"

Kendo shook her head slowly as she gazed up in wonder at the young man. Her mind was filled with images of these rangers while the man's words rang over again and again in her mind. "Protect Pokémon" she repeated to herself. "Rangers…." Her thoughts trailed off and she slipped into a world of imagination. She saw herself surrounded by Pokémon, helping them all and making a difference in the world. This new imagination was even better then her old fairy tales. This was real.

"Oh, you haven't heard." Jackie lost his enthusiasm and stepped of the big rock, "well I suppose I'll just have to teach you myself." He decided. "Rangers aren't like trainers. They catch Pokémon, but they don't keep them. They only catch a Pokémon to calm them down, or request their help with something. To catch a Pokémon, a ranger conveys his or her feelings of friendship. That's when the Pokémon trusts them and helps them. Once the Pokémon do what was asked, they are released and go back to their habitat. The jobs of rangers range from simple things like helping an old lady move boxes pr putting put a small fire, to huge things like saving a legendary Pokémon from the control of villains and saving the world from certain destruction."

Kendo began bouncing up and down. Her silky black hair flowed wildly around her face as she added a spin to her bounce and chants of "can I be a ranger? Please! Please! Please!" Jackie chuckled "That was my next question. You seemed like a ranger to me, would you be interested in trying it out? Kendo could hardly believe it. She nodded her head so hard that it almost jerked right off her shoulders. Then she reached forward and grabbed Jackie's wrist and tugged him along behind her as she ran home. "Come see my mom, tell her about rangers! She'll say yes then you can teach me all about them. Jackie allowed himself to be dragged as he hurried after the young girl. He had a warm smile on his face. The ranger school desperately needed new students, especially in times like these. This young girl seemed like she had a promising future as a ranger. The sooner she passed ranger school, the better. First thing first though, he had to get her mother to agree.

"Ranger school?" Kendo's mother's reaction was confusion, not refusal. Jackie sighed in relief. Rumors were spreading about Pokémon rangers, but they didn't seem to have reached this little town. Those blasted rumors were just starting and had already dropped ranger school enrollment down fifteen percent. Since they hadn't reached here, however, perhaps there was hope for a much-needed new student.

After Kendo explained a bit about her decisions not to be a trainer, her mother slowly agreed to let her visit the ranger school. "If you don't like it then remember there are plenty of other things to do besides being a trainer or a ranger. If you do like it then have the principal give me a call and I will come over with all of your luggage. Kendo hugged her bother tightly, then the young ten-year-old turned to Jackie expectantly. The ranger hadn't expected he would have to be an escort, but since it seemed that Kendo and her mother were expecting it, he didn't object. "It's a ways away, but we will get there in know time riding on a Ferrow. The expression on Kendo's mother's face changed completely. The thought of her little girl riding through the sky on a big Pokémon for a long distance was not a pleasant one. "It's extremely safe, I won't let her fall I am a ranger after all!" After final farewells, Kendo and Jackie headed off into the woods in search of a big Ferrow that would carry both of them. Kendo was thrilled to see a real capture, and even more thrilled to ride a giant bird Pokémon through the clouds. Within no time they saw the school and started to descend. As she looked up at the tall building with paintings of Pokémon across the gate, Kendo knew that this was the place for her. Still, she wanted a tour.

The place was far bigger then she imagined, it was like an entire city enclosed in tall gates. The biggest building was the schoolhouse, which was located straight across from the entrance, on the other side of the central courtyard. There were two smaller buildings to either side, and a fourth building located far away from the rest next to a huge open field. "All the lessons take place in the schoolhouse, except for capture drills, which will be over there." Jackie explained as he pointed to the far-away building next to the field. "The building to the right of the schoolhouse is the girl's dorm, and the one to the left is the boy's. Students live here for however many years they attend school, which varies with each student. Its school hours now, so everyone is probably in the schoolhouse."

Kendo let here eyes drift over the whole campus, and they fell on the only other people in the courtyard. There was a teenage girl standing tall and proud with her arms folded across her chest in stubborn refusal, and a very flustered police officer arguing with her. On her shoulder rested a strange yellow bug-like Pokémon that Kendo had never seen before and she desperately wanted to go see what kind of Pokémon it was. Jackie too, seemed interested in the two people over there, but he made no move to investigate the manner, instead he just continued on. "I'll take you into the schoolhouse" he decided. Kendo hesitated and shot another glance back at the girl. The teen caught her eyes and held her gaze with her own, strong eyes. Kendo found herself turning quickly and trotting after the ranger.

Just before she reached the schoolhouse, Kendo's eyes caught another figure. On top of the great big wall that encompassed the entire school, was a girl. The girl had golden hair and amber eyes, she seemed about Kendo's age, maybe a bit younger. She was standing on top of the wall and scanning the school with a look of pure amazement. Her amber eyes spotted Kendo, and she jumped up and down waving in frantic excitement. Kendo offered a rather confused wave back while she blinked at the jumping girl, then the girl slipped of the wall and let out a frightened squeal as she plowed into the bushes below.

"A girl just fell of the wall!" Kendo exclaimed, still shocked. Jackie glanced out of the building and looked over. "No ones there, you must have imagined it." He decided "now come on, there's someone I want you to meet!" Thus Kendo was lead towards the principals office as her mind swirled with fantasies of rangers, questions about the teen and her yellow bug, and hopes that the klutzy girl was alright.

The principal was a nice man. He had messy brown hair but a fine suit. It seemed as if his clothes were the only high class thing about him. He had stubble on his chain as if he hadn't shaved in days and he had dark circles under his eyes. Besides the obvious state of fatigue, he seemed rather open and friendly. When Jessy and Kendo strolled into the room he greeted them with a smile, like they were old friends. "And whom might we have here?" he asked, quickly running a hand through his hair to try to give it a more neat appearance. "This is Kendo" Jessy introduced the young girl. She smiled shyly at the principal. "Hello" The principal bent down to her eye level and spoke. "Did you convince Jessy to give you a tour of his old school?" he asked with a gentle grin. "She was actually interested in joining" Jessy explained.

The principal straitened up immediately and looked from Kendo to Jessy then back again. "Joining?" he asked with a rather surprised tone. "I doubted anyone would join given the recent incidents!" Jessy shot the principal a stern look that shut him up immediately. Kendo was not informed of the incidents and if he wanted her as a student then it had to stay that way.

"Well Kendo, what did your parents say about all this?" "Mom said to have you call her if I don't like it and I'll find something else." The principal nodded, then held out his hand. "My names Mr. Meg" he said. "This is my office and if you ever need anything don't hesitate to ask. If you can wait for a few moments I'll be more then happy to give you a tour, but first there's a matter that I have to deal with." "I'll take her if you want" Jessy volunteered. "Thanks Jessy, I'll be in the courtyard, come see me when your done."

Jessy nodded, then led Kendo out of the office. "I'll take you to the classroom first and.." Jessy lost his focus as a young women walked by. She was in her mid thirties and had blonde hair just like Jessy. "Bessy!" The ranger rushed forward and hugged the surprise women, but she happily returned the gesture. "Jessy its been forever! You should really visit more often!" She exclaimed. "Sorry sis, I've still been trying to do what I can to help." Bessy nodded, "are things getting any better?" she asked. "Sure thing, I caught a ferrow for the flight over here today, and this young lady gave me new found hope when she bravely rescued a rattata from a snare."

Bessy turned to Kendo with just as much surprise as had. Kendo was rather confused. If these people worked at a school why were they so surprises to see a kid? And if Jessy really was an awesome ranger then why was catching a ferrow an accomplishment? The biggest question of all was how had a ten year old girl's good deed given a full time ranger so much hope? And what had taken the hope away in the first place?

Bessy opened her mouth to say something, but she was interrupted by an alert from Jessy's styler. "New Mission!" Jessy called "I've got to rescue a ranger from a herd of angry tourus!" Jessy hugged his sister, ruffled Kendo's hair, then darted out the door. "Always on the run" Bessy sighed, then she glanced down at Kendo. "Hey there, my name's Bessy Meg. is my husband and Jessy is my wild little brother. I was just on my way to the courtyard. I have to bring registration sheets to another new student. Your welcome to come if you like, then I'll give you both a tour."

Kendo followed Bessy out. She scanned her new home as she walked through it. This would be the place she would grow up. She knew no one besides two adults she had meant only moments ago. Her mind raced with many questions. She'd just have to figure out the answers in time. Whatever was wrong, however, as a ranger, it would be her job to fix it. She mad a silent pledge in her mind that she would do all she could to be the best ranger she could be and to keep any trouble away that may be present right now.

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End file.
